Choices Chapter Seven
I'm going to have a couple of weeks holiday so I wanted to leave our gorgeous women in a good place. More Paris later. Enjoy.
Caroline and Kate were hand in hand waiting their turn for a scan; not sweaty and cold hands as before, just a firm grip. This time there was a sense of anticipation and excitement. Caroline had taken a couple of hours off to come with Kate, not just to give support, but this time to see her daughter, yes her daughter. She had begun to relish the prospect of a new family with her Kate.
"Kate McKenzie?" the same radiographer was calling her. They strolled into to the room and Kate lay down, once more grabbing Caroline's hand.
"You are lucky to have your good friend with you each time, Kate."
"Oh, I'm not a friend, Kate's my partner and this is our baby." Caroline could hardly believe these words had just left her mouth. She smiled at the ease she felt. 'It must be true if it comes so easily' she thought.
"Oh well it seems congratulations are in order then, By the look of the scan all is fine and your daughter is growing beautifully."
Caroline leaned over and kissed Kate. "You are doing so well my darling, everything is going to be alright."
Kate thought her chest would burst with pride and love for Caroline at that moment. No hesitation in acknowledging her and their child and it felt so good to be able to feel her support and know she was in such loving and safe hands once more.
Reluctantly they left each other in the car park, Caroline was going back to work and Kate was going home. Caroline had insisted she have the last teaching period off so she could rest.
As she opened her front door, Kate heard her Ipad ringing; it was someone on' facetime'. She opened it and was surprised to see Issy's face there.
"Hey, Katie darling, how are you?"
"I'm fine thanks. Oh my God, Issy it's so good to see you and hear your voice. How are you?"
"I'm well; sorry it's been so long. It's taken me quite a while to get myself together and the job is very demanding as you can imagine. Today is a rare day off and I thought I might just try you.
How come you aren't at school?"
"Oh I've just had my second scan and the boss gave me the last hour of the day off!"
"Is everything OK?"
Kate told Issy all about the scare she'd had and how Caroline had been with her. Issy wanted to know everything about the 'missing piece'. "Are you taking it slowly Katie?"
"Are you kidding, with you in my ear every time Caroline comes near me, I can't do any other."
They both laughed. It felt good to be able to banter and joke again. The way it used to be between them.
"I've got a new jigsaw Katie."
"What? Oh that's fantastic, come on spill!"
"It's very early days, four dates in fact, her name is Natasha, Tash, for short. She's a chemist in the pharmacy here at the hospital. She's smart and beautiful and funny like you Katie. I like her a lot."
Issy spent the next twenty minutes or so telling Kate all about her new girlfriend and her new job. Kate felt such relief; it was wonderful that at last there was a light at the end of everyone's tunnel.
"Please bring her up here for a weekend if ever you feel like a jaunt back to your old place. We'd love to see you and meet her."
"Got to go now, my lovely Katie; I'm still wearing your bracelet. It won't come off until my life is entwined with my one true love."
"Don't be so bloody dramatic, it doesn't suit you!" Kate laughed.
"Ok just winding you up; don't be a stranger. Love you."
"Love you too."
Kate sat back and felt the weight on her shoulders lifting. Her heart had continued to be heavy as she worried so much about Issy and whether she was getting through everything. Now she could start to let go a little more. She hoped so much that the day would come when they were close again, as friends.
That evening Caroline came over for dinner. Kate had prepared it all beforehand; she liked to sit a while with her before they ate, she gave Caroline a glass of wine and they both perched up on the kitchen stools.
"Guess who I spoke to today?"
'Who, your mum?"
"No, Issy; oh Caroline it was so good to hear from her. You know how worried I've been."
The conversation had played over and over in Kate's head that afternoon and so she was able to give Caroline a complete verbatim, word for word. Caroline surprised herself at how laid back and open she was to the two women continuing their friendship and care for each other.
Caroline reached down and delved into her handbag giving an envelope to Kate.
"What's this?"
"Lawrence asked me to give it to you. He showed it to me before, but I promise you I had nothing to do with it."
It was a card, the front of which had balloons and congratulations.
Dear Kate,
Congratulations on being pregnant. I am pleased for you. Sorry I have been mean to you. Even Angus thinks I'm a 'd...head'. Forgive me.
Yours
Lawrence
"Aw, Caroline that's so sweet. I wonder what brought this on."
"Presumably me; I gave him a bollocking the other day in front of the family. Something I should have done a while ago. He was so shocked I almost wanted to laugh. It's made him stop and think about some of the things he's said. Apparently he told Angus about it and he told Lawrence he was err, well you know, what he's written there."
They enjoyed their meal chatting about all the baby paraphernalia Kate was going to have to buy soon. Once they had finished and cleared up they curled up on the lounge together to spend the last couple of hours before Caroline had to leave.
"Kate, you know it's the long weekend coming up."
"Yep."
"I was wondering if you'd mind if we went away for the weekend. Lawrence has a rugby camp and so I'm free all weekend."
"It sounds pretty good to me. Where did you have in mind?"
"Actually, counting on you saying yes, I've booked something already but I'd like it to be a surprise. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock on Friday morning. Bring clothes for three days and a swanky outfit for the evening."
"Wow this sounds interesting, no hints?"
"Only that you'll need your passport."
Try as she may Kate wasn't able to get anymore information out of Caroline. She wanted to say; "no separate rooms' but thought better of it, even as a joke.
"Caroline, now that I've spoken to Issy, I feel different, almost ready to take the next step. She seems able to start moving on and I feel I can too.
We're both longing for each other; let's see what this weekend brings."
Caroline looked at her; "That would be wonderful, but it has to be when you are able to trust me again." Kate nodded and kissed her Caroline, "I really want to trust you, completely, with the rest of my life." They sat in each other's arms letting it all sink in.
"Oh I nearly forgot, I have another little envelope for you before I leave." Caroline dived into her bag.
She handed it to Kate who opened it and looked at a photocopy of a rather official looking document. It was the final contract on the sale of the house.
"Caroline, I don't know what to say. You've sold your house?"
"Yep, and now that the sale has gone through, you and I and our ever growing family are going to have to start looking hard for another place. No granny flat I might add, that's already been negotiated. John's very upset of course but bad luck. One thing he won't have is a set of keys. He wouldn't even have the address if I had my way but there's Lawrence to think of."
"John hasn't phoned you for ages, well, not while you've been with me."
Caroline handed her phone to Kate and told her to look him up. 'John' number blocked.
Kate took Caroline's face into her hands and kissed her. "All my doubts are fading, you are really something do you know that? I love you so much Caroline. This weekend will be ours, I promise. Thank you doesn't even come close for all of this."
"Ah but there's more, just you wait. Now much as I hate to, I have to go my darling. I need to see the whites of my son's eyes before he goes to bed."
As she climbed the stairs to bed, there was a lightness in Kate that she hadn't felt for a very long time.
Friday morning arrived and the two women set of for Leeds railway station. They were catching the nine o'clock train to London. They quickly found their seats in the first class compartment and settled into them. The train pulled out and Kate leaned over and kissed Caroline; "I am so excited. " She took her hand and then laid her head back against the headrest. She noticed out of the corner of her eye, the elderly couple across the aisle nudging each other and pointing to them holding hands, smiling at each other.
Kate couldn't help but go back in her mind to the last journey they had gone on together and how excited she had been then too. This time would be different, she knew that deep down.
Once the train pulled in to London; Caroline busied herself collecting their luggage and organising the tickets for the next leg of the journey. They needed to cross the concourse and head for St Pancras to catch the Eurostar to Paris, their final destination.
After completing all their passport formalities, they settled on to the train and their journey to Paris.
"Kate there's something else I want to show you."
"What?"
Caroline handed her passport and credit card to Kate.
Name on passport; Caroline Elizabeth Dawson
Name on Credit Card. C. E. Dawson
"Caroline, God, when did this happen?"
"Last week I finalised it all. I like the feel of it. It takes me back to a time when I wasn't Mrs Elliot and it's good. The boys are fine with it. I thought you might like it too."
"You did all this for me?"
"Ye
There was little else Kate could ask of this magnificent woman. She could hear Issy, 'This piece fits perfectly Katie'.
Three hours later they were at the reception desk of their hotel, a beautiful spot near Montmartre. Caroline had left all the talking to Kate the moment they arrived as she was fluent in French; it was quite sexy listening to her. There was only one room booked in the name of Elliot and McKenzie; a lovely one overlooking the garden;
Once all the bags were organised and clothes hung up, Kate disappeared into the bathroom. Caroline heard the shower running as she flipped through all the usual tourist brochures. She couldn't concentrate; her mind and body were focussed only on what she longed for. Ten minutes later, Kate emerged wrapped in one of the white matching bathrobes. She stood in front of Caroline and let it fall to the floor.
Caroline could hardly breathe, the beauty of the woman standing in front her was overwhelming. She could feel raw desire pulsing through her body.
"Kate, you are so beautiful, I want you so badly."
Kate began to undress Caroline slowly, kissing every inch of her body as she exposed it. Within seconds, they were lost in each other. The room disappeared around them; nothing else mattered; only the gentle and slow exploration of all that they had longed for these past few months. They found ecstasy in every touch, every kiss and their ultimate moment was like nothing either of them had ever felt before. They loved and loved until they felt completely one.
When they eventually reclaimed their surroundings, it was dark outside.
Caroline whispered ,"Dinner out or room service?"
"Let's go and feel the romance of Paris darling, walk the streets and soak up the atmosphere. We'll have a romantic dinner and then come back and start all over again."